


A Modest Proposal

by darthmelyanna, miera



Series: stargate_ren [6]
Category: Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Renaissance, Arranged Marriage, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-01-14
Updated: 2007-01-17
Packaged: 2019-02-06 20:19:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12825303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darthmelyanna/pseuds/darthmelyanna, https://archiveofourown.org/users/miera/pseuds/miera
Summary: As Princess Elizabeth approaches her 15th birthday, her guardians take steps they hope will secure her throne.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Set 3 years prior to "Ascension of the Queen." The authors apologize to Jonathan Swift for the gross misappropriation of the title.

Daniel, the Duke of Langford, allowed an audible sigh to escape as Lord Robert of Kinsey continued to rail before the college of lords about the imminent danger Atalan was in. Daniel was not the only one who appeared uninterested in the regent's dire predictions. It was spring planting season, and many of the college were absent, attending to their own business. Of those who were present, a good number were speaking to each other or staring into space. Lately it seemed Lord Robert had become obsessed about dangers lying in wait on all sides, never mentioning the internal threats the realm faced.

Of course, in Daniel's opinion, the regent of Atalan was the source of the internal threats.

And much as he wished otherwise, Atalan was in the middle of a nasty situation, with or without Kinsey. The Goa'uld were escalating their war on the Jaffa Nation. Though the Goa'uld had not mounted a direct attack on Atalan in many years, Daniel knew there were no limits to their foul ambitions. At any moment, their attention could return to the vulnerable realm. Atalan's strength had been badly damaged by the war with the Ori thirteen years earlier, but within the circle of nations she retained an influential position. With that influence came great danger.

In response to the growing threat from the Goa'uld, Caldora had been massing her own armies and rebuilding her military. The relationship between Atalan and Caldora had never been a warm one, and formal ties had not existed for some generations. There was no way of predicting how Caldora would act.

Thus Atalan needed to watch her borders on two sides.

What the country did not need was Kinsey spreading unsubstantiated rumors about the Ori. Daniel remained stoic and stone-faced as several heads turned in his direction when Kinsey mentioned the old adversary. Daniel's dealings with the Goa'uld and the Ori, as well as the Ancients, were a burden he would never be fully free of. They were the tool Kinsey had used to block Daniel's uncle's last wish, that Daniel be granted the regency after the king and queen had died.

The nobility of Atalan had denied him the regency. Standing before the entire college of lords, listening to the vote, and enduring the sneers and turned backs had bitten deeply into Daniel. True, he had faced worse tragedies, but his anger had never, and probably would never, truly abate.

They had not been able to remove him from the college, though. He still had possession of his father's lands. Ernest and Catherine continued to steward the province of Langford while Daniel remained at court, but he was a duke and therefore outranked anyone in the realm aside from the princess, including Kinsey. He cared little for the pomps and vanities of the Atalan court, or the privileges of his rank, but it kept him within the college of lords, where he did everything in his power to fulfill the spirit of his uncle's wishes, if not the letter.

The dead king of Atalan would be spinning in his grave if he knew the neglect Atalan's defenses were suffering. King Edmund had been rebuilding the navy prior to his death. Once one of the most formidable fleets in the world, Atalan's navy had been nearly demolished by the Ori. Now pirates, using old ghost stories about the Wraith, preyed on the coastline at will, for there were no ships to hunt them down and drive them off. For all Kinsey's bluster regarding the dangers they were all in, the man had no apparent concern at weakening their strength in order to feed his own bloated appetites and those of his friends.

Daniel closed his eyes and prayed, yet again, for his cousin Elizabeth's safety. It would be a little more than three years now, and she would reach the age of majority, become queen in her own right. He fervently hoped her first act would be to exile Kinsey from Atalan permanently.

If she lived that long. If there was still a realm to rule when Kinsey was finished.

Daniel met the inquiring gaze of Lord George of Hammond and knew the older man had noticed the same thing. Kinsey was growing more desperate. With each passing month, Elizabeth crept closer to her full strength. Many of the men who made up the college of lords had begun to accept that their young princess would be their next queen. The vast difference between an eight-year-old child, whose siblings had all died, and a fourteen-year-old young woman had changed many perspectives without Daniel or the rest of Elizabeth's close advisors having to lift one finger. Her simple survival was turning the tide in their favor. Kinsey was no longer regarded as a figure of power by the college. He was being reduced to little more than a steward, holding his place until Elizabeth was of age.

Knowing Kinsey, he was not about to accept this situation in good grace.

The regent could not hope to influence the princess at this point. Lord George had been appointed Elizabeth's guardian upon the deaths of her parents. That much the college had not meddled with, acceding to the late king's wishes in that matter if not in others. Lord George was well-liked among the Atalan nobility, a man who had served the realm in many wars and been the best friend of Daniel's uncle in his youth. Lord George's wife had been of a beloved old family, and his daughter had married into one of the wealthiest clans in the northern territories. He commanded tremendous respect and wielded a great deal of influence. His protection was likely the main reason Elizabeth had survived her childhood without becoming Robert Kinsey's puppet.

Sitting between Daniel and Lord George was Lord Jonathan of Neill, head of Atalan's military, who had served Lord George many years ago in wars with the Goa'uld and the Ori. While he had no official role in Elizabeth's life, he was as much a favorite with the queen-elect as he had been with her father.

The three of them, along with Sir Jacob Carter and Sir Marshall Sumner, the captain of the princess' personal guard, were all that stood between Elizabeth and the many dangers within and outside of Atalan standing between her and the throne. So far, they had served well.

But they needed to do more.

***

Daniel seated himself at the table in the private dining room within the far reaches of the palace. For a multitude of reasons, the royal family had always favored the western apartments of the enormous edifice that dominated the island of Atlantis and loomed gracefully over the village enclosed within the protective walls. At the moment, Daniel was merely grateful that the family suites were far, far away from the seat of the college of lords.

Sir Jacob and Lord George were across from him. Jack – Daniel had been unable to think of Lord Jonathan as anything but "Jack" since they served together against the Goa'uld – hovered near the window. Daniel could only remember a handful of seasons when all four of them had been in Atlantis at the same time.

When Kinsey had been named regent, Elizabeth had been but eight years old. Lord George was a highly astute man. Three years ago, when the likelihood of Elizabeth surviving to adulthood began to grow, Kinsey had attempted to take over Elizabeth's education, in order to gain influence over what he wrongly assumed would be an impressionable young girl. By then, though, Lord George had surrounded Elizabeth with a surrogate family of his own choosing, from Captain Sumner, who guarded the young princess as if she were his own child, to Elizabeth's two ladies-in-waiting Laura and Kate, who had been with her since her parents' deaths, to Sir Jacob's daughter, Samantha. Realizing that Elizabeth's mind had been thoroughly prejudiced against him, Kinsey had resorted to attempting to keep Jack and Sir Jacob away as much as possible, to deprive Elizabeth of their protection whenever he could.

The four men waited in silence as servants brought bread, meat and wine for the afternoon meal and then retreated. Only when the door was safely closed did Lord George speak.

"I believe it's obvious to us all that Kinsey is preparing some sort of strike."

Daniel nodded. The regent's rhetoric was but a prelude to some action.

"It's apparent he's positioning himself. He has repeatedly mentioned the need for a strong, male leader in a time of war," Jacob said.

"A scullery maid would do better at protecting Atalan than Kinsey," Jack put in scathingly.

Daniel and Jacob smirked, but Lord George continued, "I fear our combined efforts will no longer be enough to protect the princess." He took a deep breath and Daniel realized that, as usual, the older man was several steps ahead of the rest of them. "I've spoken to a man, Simon Wallis. His father is an earl of one of the western territories, but Lord Simon has an older brother who's to inherit the title. I believe he's honorable and loyal to the throne of Atalan, rather than to Kinsey."

Daniel felt something in him sinking coldly. Lord George usually consulted him in private about any plans he was making regarding Elizabeth's life. He was not the regent or her guardian, but Daniel was Elizabeth's only blood family. Lord George had never made any moves that could undermine or interfere in the close relationship Daniel had built with his young cousin. At least, not until now. "What are you suggesting?"

Lord George looked at him calmly. "Lord Simon is willing to marry the princess."

From their reactions, Daniel knew Jacob had heard of this plan before while Jack clearly had not.

"What?" Jack snapped, his eyes darkening dangerously.

"An eligible marriage to a suitable member of the nobility would do more to cement Elizabeth's rule than anything we could do ourselves. If she is married, and even better if the union produces a healthy child, nothing Kinsey can do would prevent the college from fully supporting Elizabeth's accession."

Jacob clasped his hands together. "You're certain this Simon would be acceptable to the college?"

"His family is noble and well-respected. He has been trained as a physician, though he fought for the defense of the realm during the Ori wars."

"How old is he?" Daniel burst out, surprised.

Now, he noticed, Lord George did not meet his eyes. "Six and thirty years."

Jack's face was like stone. "You want to marry a girl who's not yet fifteen to a man more than twenty years her senior?"

"Elizabeth will not be wed until she is fifteen," Daniel said immediately. Memories of the match his own parents had attempted to arrange for him flashed through his mind. Fate had decided the situation otherwise, but he still recalled the feeling of strangeness – and terror - at meeting his potential wife when they were both so young. "I won't permit it." Strictly speaking, he had no right to issue such a dictate, but Lord George nodded immediately.

"I wouldn't argue with that."

"The lapse of four months will not do much to narrow the lapse in ages between them," Jack snarled.

Daniel's mind was racing. Lord George was correct. If Elizabeth married, there was every chance the college of lords would make her husband the regent, especially if he was a nobleman of good family. It would be assumed such a man would be diligent in assisting Elizabeth with assuming her duties as the queen as a matter of course. It could be an effective way of securing Elizabeth's life, and her throne, and removing Kinsey from power.

For all the logic of the proposal, Daniel was almost grateful when Jack began to pace, gesturing violently as he did so.

"She's too young," Jack began. He rubbed a hand against his temples. "I know other women have been married as young, especially in an arranged match such as this, but those girls... they lived within a normal court. They interacted with others, had their flirtations and knew what was expected of them. Elizabeth has had barely any contact with any men, of her own age or any other." Daniel could see his old friend struggling to contain his frustration. Too often they had lamented to each other that Elizabeth lived as one caged. She could go nowhere without an escort of guards. She had not so much as slept alone for a night since her parents' death.

There had been many times when Daniel dreamed of taking her away from the court, to his own lands or even further away, to some place where Elizabeth could be free from the constant fear and cautiousness, at least for a while.

Jack continued to speak as he walked. "I know that sheltering her is for her protection, but she is already burdened with being the future queen. It's too much to add to that becoming a wife so young. Not to mention sharing her bed with a man over twenty years older than she is."

Lord George and Jacob both shifted uncomfortably. Daniel himself fought not to squirm, though he knew Jack was right. There was a passion between two people who truly loved one another that could not be replicated, or equaled. Elizabeth deserved to know such emotions, if it was possible, and preferably with a man more suited to her age.

Of all of them, Jack had handled Elizabeth's transition to womanhood the most easily for some reason. Daniel occasionally wished she could have somehow stayed the bright, inquisitive child she had been, who had run fearlessly into his arms for hugs and goodnight kisses and who had laughed freely and fully with him and Jack when they taught her to swim and ride. When her body had begun to change, she had as well. Awareness of her own vulnerability seemed to have settled about her like a cloak, holding her back even from the men she trusted with her life.

Jack, being Jack, would not be kept at a distance. He continued to tease her, even flirted with her in an extremely gentle manner. At the same time, it had been Jack and Sumner who had taught Elizabeth how to wield a knife, and how to escape the hold of an attacker.

It was Jacob who answered Jack now. "We all want many things for the princess, Jack. But our wishes, and even her own, can't interfere with keeping her safe, and securing her rule."

Jack rounded on Jacob. "Would you have done this to Samantha, when she was Elizabeth's age?"

Jacob blanched slightly. His only daughter had grown up with Elizabeth, acting as the older sister the young princess didn't have. Daniel had been grateful many times over for Lady Samantha's assistance with his cousin. He was a man of great learning, but there were certain feminine mysteries even he did not want to penetrate.

Jacob looked down at the table for a moment. "To protect her life? Yes."

A silence stretched between them. Jack went back to his perch at the window. He said nothing further, but Daniel saw a muscle working in his jaw.

"What do you think, Daniel?" Lord George prompted him.

He gave himself a moment to consider as they all turned to look at him. "I'm reluctant to take away Elizabeth's chance to even consider who to select as a husband. But I agree it could solve a great many problems to have her safely married. Even if Kinsey remains regent, the college would likely unofficially consider Elizabeth as an adult despite her not being of age yet." Daniel felt more than saw the way Jack's gaze was burning into him. "However, I won't have her forced into this, by anyone."

There was no real anger behind the threat, but it was his place as Elizabeth's cousin to speak the words. As he expected, Lord George nodded.

"Then let us broach the subject with our lady."

***

The sun was low in the sky, filling the private audience chamber with golden light as the four of them stood before the chair at the end of the small room. Elizabeth folded her hands demurely in her lap as she listened to the proposal. The flash of shock in her eyes was quickly dampened. Concealing her emotions and controlling her reactions was one of the things Daniel was attempting to teach her. He hated it almost as much as she did, but it was necessary. She paused prudently before speaking.

"This Lord Simon, what sort of man is he?" she asked cautiously when Lord George had finished.

Her guardian told her much the same information as he had told them earlier, and Daniel could see that his answers failed to tell Elizabeth what she truly wished to know about this prospective husband.

Her eyes turned to Jacob next, a silent prompting. Jacob reiterated what Lord George had said, adding that the marriage would not take place until after her next birthday if the engagement proceeded.

Elizabeth glanced at Daniel, but she moved on swiftly to Jack, who was standing off to the side, arms folded over his chest. He was not looking directly at her, requiring her to ask gently: "Jack?"

Daniel smiled a tiny bit internally. Calling Jack by his name rather than by title was more persuasive at this moment. His cousin had excellent native skill at managing people.

Jack unfolded his arms. "I don't disagree with the reasons."

He paused and Elizabeth looked at him calculatingly. "But you don't support the notion?"

"I'd rather your Highness have more time before settling into a marriage," Jack said bluntly. "And I believe you should marry for your own reasons, not ours."

Elizabeth looked thoughtful. Lord George and Jacob frowned, clearly feeling Jack was inciting Elizabeth's independent streak. She had never openly defied them, or at least not Lord George, but there were times when even Daniel found amusement in rousing the unyielding streak below Elizabeth's quiet surface.

"I thank you for your counsel, lords," Elizabeth said graciously. "I would desire to speak to my cousin in private now."

The three men left the small audience chamber and Elizabeth's composed demeanor collapsed as she slumped back into the chair. "When did you first hear of this plan?" she demanded irritably.

"This afternoon," Daniel said, settling into his usual place on the stool next to her chair. "Lord George brought it up with Jack, Jacob and myself after the college session." Elizabeth muttered under her breath about the college's refusal to allow her to attend the sessions. Having heard many a tirade on the subject before, Daniel hurried to return to the topic at hand. "The idea has its merits."

"Jack doesn't seem to think so."

Daniel sighed. "He's afraid you will be giving up your chance at finding any genuine happiness in marriage. And I admit I feel the same way." Elizabeth looked at him sympathetically. She knew his history, the loss of his young wife that still caused his heart to ache these many years later. He'd loved her deeply, and despite the pain of losing her too soon, he would not trade their happy times for any reason.

But his wife had not been the heir to a kingdom, living at the mercy of a man with no scruples and unlimited ambitions.

"Our primary concern is for your safety. Marriage would do much to protect you and secure the throne in the eyes of the college and the realm. And there is no saying that you and this Simon could not be very happy together." Daniel pushed his own reservations about the gap between their ages aside.

Elizabeth bit her lip and he reflexively frowned until she realized it and stopped. Her eyes were full of uncertainty still. "I should agree to this, then?"

Jack's words echoed in his head and Daniel realized his friend had been right in more ways than one. She was too young, too unsure of herself still. If she married now, she might never be able to find her own strength. And if this Simon was not the sort of man who would nurture her and allow her to do so... he cut the thought off. Lord George was too smart to risk binding the hope of the entire realm to a man he didn't have complete confidence in. He would only have put forward the idea of this marriage if Lord Simon was upright and trustworthy.

What remained uncertain was whether Elizabeth could accept Simon as her husband.

He reached out and took her hand gently. "My advice would be for you to meet with this prospective suitor and ask yourself what you believe is the right course, Elizabeth." She would not be compelled into this marriage, he vowed to himself. It would be her choice.

***

Elizabeth paced restlessly in her private garden as the sun set. The garden had been built for one of her great-grandmothers many centuries ago, and it was her sanctuary. Whenever she needed a place to think, she returned to it, walking the paths among the fruit trees that would not have survived Atalan's winters without the shelter of the cloistered walls, and tending personally to the rose bushes set out by some ancestor. Even though it was ringed about with guards to prevent anyone from entering unknown, the high green walls shielded conversations. It was the closest thing to privacy she knew, so she tended to linger there after the evening meal, despite the chill in the air that Doctor Warner, her physician, constantly harped on as being dangerous for her health.

Her ladies-in-waiting, Kate and Laura, sat side by side on the wide stone bench, discussing the news of Simon Wallis' proposal of marriage. Both girls had been Elizabeth's companions for many years now. She felt more relaxed in their presence than with anyone, save perhaps Daniel. She relied on Kate's ability to think clearly around problems as much as Laura's irrepressible humor.

"Did Lord George say how old he is?" Laura asked.

Elizabeth sighed. "Six and thirty."

Laura made a shocked noise while Kate winced. "That's older than Lord Jack," she said, giving Lord Jonathan the nickname they only used when they were sure he could not hear them. "And somehow I doubt he's as good looking."

"Few men are," Elizabeth grinned. She knew full well that all three of them had something of a crush on the leader of her realm's military, and with good reason. No one could be as charming as Jack when he chose to be. But even with Elizabeth's limited experience, she knew not many men were as amiable or entertaining as her old friend.

"At least at that advanced age, you wouldn't have to fear he would be harassing you into bed at all hours," Laura mused, with a sour face.

"Laura!" Kate chided. A year older than Elizabeth, she had been born, apparently, with a strong sense of propriety, one that often clashed with Laura's more outspoken nature.

"What?" the younger woman said defiantly. "You were both thinking much the same thing. And that is assuming that at his age he is still even interested in bedding any woman."

"I've yet to find a male who still has hair who has lost interest in that," Elizabeth observed dryly, making all three of them giggle. "At least among those who had interest in the first place."

Kate blushed, while Laura smirked. "Is he at least handsome?" she queried.

Elizabeth shook her head. "I do not know. I have agreed to meet with him in a few weeks' time."

Kate nodded approvingly. "You could hardly make such a decision without at least speaking to him face to face first."

"If there are any benefits to being a princess, one should be having a young and handsome husband," Laura groused, poking at the dirt with the toe of her shoe.

"I will be lucky to avoid an arranged marriage at all," Elizabeth said, pausing by the stone bird bath to watch the sun setting. "Who I marry will likely come down to some obscure treaty arrangement rather than any personal choice of mine."

Kate came to her, linking an arm with Elizabeth's. "You are resolved on doing this, aren't you?" she asked quietly.

"Not resolved, but it is tempting. Daniel believes this would secure the throne. The college might even remove Kinsey as regent."

Kate rested her chin on Elizabeth's shoulder. "The worst of the danger to you would end, then."

Elizabeth sighed. It was that reason, more than any other, that urged her to consider the proposal. The chance to escape some of the oppressive restraints on her daily life was too sweet to resist. And to rid Atalan of Kinsey? If such a thing were to happen, she would order the ringing of every bell in the city, and damn the consequences.

Yet something within her ached with a strange sense of loss.

Laura had come up to her other side, reaching up to pluck some of the last blossoms from the cherry tree above them. She split off a small twig and tucked it into Elizabeth's hair and affected a pose as if studying her handiwork. "I believe, m'lady, that the bridal look suits you."

Elizabeth and Kate chuckled. Laura tenderly removed a flower from the branch she still held and set it with great care so that it floated in the birdbath before them.

"I do wish," Elizabeth whispered slowly, reaching up to clasp Kate's hand on her shoulder, "that this was not happening quite so soon. I know so little of the world." Her cheeks began to heat. "And I know nothing of men. I do not know how to smile and simper and make myself agreeable to them."

"You are the queen-elect," Laura interrupted. "You need do little more than exist to draw men to you."

"I'm certain that will comfort my lady greatly, that her beauty, wit and intelligence are beside the point," Kate shot back sarcastically. "Perhaps she wishes to be loved despite her title."

Laura shrugged. "I doubt my lady would accept the hand of a man who did not recognize her inherent worth, title or no title. And you know Lady Samantha believes that it is more important to have a man's respect than to pretend ignorance and be silly to try and win his heart."

Lady Samantha, of course, was still unmarried, so the validity of her theories was somewhat in doubt by all three of them.

It struck Elizabeth again that she might be married in a few months time. Her heart beat faster. This was too much to take in.

As if guessing her thoughts, Kate squeezed her hand tightly. "In the fairy stories, the princess' first kiss is sacred to youth and first love, not the staid responsibilities of marriage."

She nodded, for as usual Kate had struck upon precisely what was hurting her. She had been waiting for most of her life to reach her eighteenth birthday, to be free of Kinsey's oversight, to be her own person. And now she was being asked to surrender that independence before it was even hers. Even as the queen, she would still be a wife.

In fairness, she did not know enough of Lord Simon's character. Though she had seen men who ruled their families with anger and fists and cowed their wives and children, she had also lived with men who respected the women in their lives. And she had enough faith in Lord George that he would never have suggested this match if Simon was not of the latter school.

She could do nothing but wait and meet the man, and try to keep her mind open. But the sense of grief would not leave her.

"Indeed. You should spend these years being pursued by a host of attractive young men, all vying for your attention with their heroic deeds and romantic gestures." Laura jumped up onto the low wall separating them from the rose garden, while Elizabeth and Kate laughed. "Dragon slayers and bold heroes should compete for the honor of catching your dropped handkerchiefs. Artists should compose hymns to your beauty, statues and portraits of your figure should adorn the palace, great outpourings of affection heaped at your feet wherever you walk!" Laura waved her arms. "And after a grand courtship, you would settle down sensibly with some kind and loving man who would adore you all the days of your life and rule in peace and prosperity until you are surrounded by fat grandchildren, while you knit and tell stories of all your discarded admirers from your wild youth."

Elizabeth wiped at the moisture in her eyes brought about by Laura's antics. "Somehow that does not seem to suit my way," she pointed out.

Laura crouched down. Any other woman would be either too modest or too fearful of tumbling off the wall and into the dirt, but Laura possessed a careless grace of movement Elizabeth had always envied. "Perhaps not. But I still say your first kiss should be from some sweet-faced young man, his eyes filled with the fires of innocent love." She glanced at Kate and added wickedly, "I'm certain young Master Lorne would be most willing to do the honors."

Elizabeth grinned as Kate's cheeks turned pink at the mention of the handsome young guardsman lately come into Elizabeth's service. At least she still had these friends with her. Elizabeth knew no matter what fate had in store for her, this family would never abandon her. Nor would she allow anyone to separate her from them.


	2. Chapter 2

Jack reflected that he had been to funerals more lively than Princess Elizabeth's wedding banquet.

The mood in the great hall of Atlantis was not somber, but it was subdued, especially considering that this was a royal wedding that was effectively securing the throne of Atalan. The local nobility were in attendance but the affair had been conducted quietly and quickly as opposed to holding a lavish state celebration that would have commanded the attendance of every noble house and ambassadors of every nation on friendly terms with the realm.

Elizabeth had danced with her new husband but once, and now they sat demurely side by side as the food was brought forth. They spoke quietly at the high table, positioned directly near the unique stone circle that had adorned the great hall since the founding of Atalan thousands of years ago. The newlyweds were still practically strangers to each other. Elizabeth seemed to have greater difficulty facing Simon directly as the short autumn afternoon wore on, her nervousness starting to bleed through the court mask she had maintained through the ceremony.

No one knew what had passed between Elizabeth and Simon three months ago, during their first private meeting, except perhaps Kate and Laura, and they would die before breaking her confidence. A day after that meeting, Elizabeth informed Lord George that she had accepted Simon's proposal of marriage. Today, her fifteenth birthday, she had married him.

By some miracle, Kinsey had not heard about Simon until the announcement was made to the college of lords. Jack had been on the eastern border, dealing with reports of a possible Goa'uld incursion into a neighboring territory, when Lord George made the engagement public. Thankfully, the regent did not have power to dissolve the arrangement, as Kinsey was not Elizabeth's guardian. Only Lord George could undo a marriage contract, though he unofficially brought it to the college "as a courtesy" – meaning for their approval.

Kinsey, though furious, had been forced to silence his rage in public, being outnumbered by the vast majority of the college who were enthusiastic about settling the fate of the princess' marriage at such an early age, and keeping the royal line within Atalan's own nobility. The glares being shot by Kinsey and his allies in Lord George's direction during the banquet would have worried any other man, but it appeared the princess' guardian had orchestrated this round almost perfectly.

Their hopes that the college would dismiss Kinsey as regent were disappointed. However, Simon had been granted the title of "Prince" rather than "Prince Consort." This meant he would be treated as Elizabeth's equal and would become regent in case of her death, as her mother Queen Margaret had been, briefly, after the death of the king. Lord George was optimistic that after a year of marriage, the college would be far more amenable to appointing Simon regent for the remaining two years before Elizabeth reached adulthood, particularly if the match produced an heir.

Jack did not dislike Lord Simon – Prince Simon, he corrected himself. He could have no objections to the man. He was honorable, intelligent and fully cognizant that by marrying the princess he was earning the undying enmity of Kinsey and making himself a target for all sorts of schemes and gossip within the court. While he knew little of Elizabeth personally, he confessed to an affection for her and a committed desire to seeing her as the strong queen Atalan needed.

Simon would protect Elizabeth's life and her throne. Jack sensed no coiled ambition underneath the other man's pleasant face and proper manners. He would not hold Elizabeth back. He would be a supportive husband and a good consort.

But he was lifeless, tasteless as flattened bread. Jack wondered if Simon Wallis had ever possessed any real fire or passion about anything in his life. Elizabeth, with her great capacity for feeling, married to a man who appeared impossible to ruffle? For all that Daniel repeated that Simon's placid temperament would balance Elizabeth out and help her, Jack had his doubts about their suitability, not as queen and consort, but as husband and wife. He also suspected Daniel did not entirely believe his own words on the subject.

Jack's own wife had been his equal in every way. Slower to anger, but her tempers were actually worse than his own when she was truly riled. Yet there had still been times when he had thoroughly enjoyed aggravating that temper, just to enjoy the aftermath. Grief washed through him, thinking of her, though the memories were less painful now that two years had passed since her death. He remembered the joy that had been between them far more than he remembered the sadness.

He glanced up at the high table, where Elizabeth's eyes were cast down at her food. She wasn't eating.

Jack took another large sip of ale and fought against the conviction that he had just cut the wings off a young bird before her first flight.

Or conspired to do so, at least. Even though he had voiced his objection to the match in principle, he was as complicit as Lord George, Jacob and Daniel. The latter man was currently dancing with Lady Samantha. He said something that made the young woman smile and Jack felt his mood turn even darker.

Samantha had been the most vehement in opposing Elizabeth's marriage. She railed and ranted at him, Daniel and Jacob for a good hour before storming off. Since Elizabeth's decision she had not spoken out again, but the anger had still simmered beneath the surface, showing clearly in her sharp blue eyes whenever she looked at Jack or her father. Apparently she had forgiven Daniel for his role, at least.

Across the room, Elizabeth suddenly leapt up from her seat, shouting in alarm. Captain Sumner was at her side almost instantly, never being more than a few steps from his charge when she was in public. That loyalty would stand, husband or no husband.

Next to Elizabeth, Simon fell from his chair with a loud crash.

Jack forced his way across the room, Daniel and Samantha at his heels, even as Sumner bellowed for the guard. Men dressed in black poured into the room, surrounding Elizabeth with an impenetrable wall of muscle and steel, even as she struggled against Sumner's hold, trying to reach Simon.

Jacob was kneeling next to the fallen man. Simon's hands clutched at his own throat, and his breath wheezed loudly from between blue lips. Jack knew he was already dead.

 _This was deliberate_ , was all he had time to think to himself before Elizabeth began to cough. She doubled over, fighting for breath, and Jack felt his heart freeze as Laura and Kate struggled to support the princess.

Sumner reacted immediately. "Get her to her private chambers, now! Send for the physician!" The guard closed ranks, allowing only Daniel and Samantha to reach Elizabeth. They supported her between them as the men hustled the princess from the room. Daniel shot Jack one backward look and Jack began to bark orders of his own.

"Send a messenger to the sanctuary. Tell Thor we are in need of his assistance." His own second in command, Sir Charles, stepped forward and nodded. "Then close down the castle. No one enters or leaves without my express permission."

Jack's eyes cut to Kinsey, who was seated at his own table, surrounded by his allies. He was watching the scene before him with curiosity. Jack detected no alarm in the man's features.

 _Deliberate_ , he thought again, looking down at Elizabeth's dead husband.

 

***

Jack stood silently as Doctor Warner, Elizabeth's personal physician, worked over her. She was flailing in the bed, her breathing labored and her face pale. Clearly whatever had happened to Simon had struck her as well. Even from across the room, it was obvious that Warner was at a loss as to how to help her.

Every instinct within Jack screamed at him to do something. Possibly to go down to the grand ballroom and choke the life from Kinsey with his bare hands, even though there was not one shred of proof that any of this was the regent's responsibility. And to be fair, Jack had this impulse at least once a week when he was in Atlantis. He contained it, waiting for Thor to arrive from his examination of Prince Simon's corpse.

The tiny man appeared a few moments later. Like most of the Asgard order, Thor was extremely short, his thin body seemingly hairless. His large head and wide, slanted eyes made him look otherworldly, though Jack had known him long enough to see glimpses of humor in the priest's demeanor. The Asgard were in possession of great knowledge, which they did not share readily. Thor, however, was in Jack's debt, and the little man had developed an affection for Elizabeth through Jack. It was fortunate for them all that Thor was willing to grant aid when it was needed.

Thor examined Elizabeth briefly and then beckoned them away from the bed, while Laura and Kate tried to comfort Elizabeth and Samantha attempted to offer her water. "Prince Simon was poisoned," Thor said in his usual direct manner. "It is reasonable to assume that the princess was exposed to the same poison, but not as strong a dose."

Jack cursed under his breath, but there was no surprise among the group. He thought of Elizabeth unable to touch her food from nerves. "If it was in the food, she could barely bring herself to eat."

Thor blinked, considering that information. "Doctor Warner, are you able to counteract the effects?" Thor looked at the physician, his eyes unreadable.

Warner shifted uncomfortably. "Something is smothering her lungs, but I cannot find a way to penetrate it. I fear she is losing too much air..."

The silence that fell was brittle now that what they had hoped not to acknowledge had been spoken aloud.

Thor, however, looked contemplative. "Lord Hammond," he said formally, turning to the older man. "If you will permit me, I wish to send for my colleague Hermoid. He has lately been working with a young healer from the northern territories. I believe they may be able to save the princess' life."

Lord George nodded his agreement immediately. Thor departed to send the message, Jacob going with him. Daniel returned silently to Elizabeth's bedside. Jack decided against venting his frustration with Kinsey in favor of standing beside Daniel, who held Elizabeth's hand tightly as she coughed. Jack was more frightened than he cared to admit that the Asgard required help from someone else to deal with this.

They watched Elizabeth fight to draw breath as the skies darkened outside and night drew about the castle.

***

It felt as though an eternity had passed before there was a noise in the hallway. Hermoid, who as far as Jack was concerned looked eerily similar to Thor, swept in, followed by a man with light brown hair and blue eyes and the thin beginnings of a beard. Jack blinked. Thor had said he was young, but this physician looked to be barely more than a youth.

"Pardon me, please," the man said, pushing swiftly past the people ringing Elizabeth's bed. He shucked his traveler's cloak and tossed it carelessly in the direction of a chair. Immediately he bent over Elizabeth, looking into her eyes and reaching to take her pulse.

Jack saw a ripple of movement out of the corner of his eye. It was Sumner, reacting out of instinct and habit to a stranger touching Elizabeth. The captain of the guard subsided, however, even as the newcomer bent to listen to her heart.

"Right," the man said, standing up. "She won't last till morning like this. We need to clear her lungs before she suffocates." Apparently oblivious to the tension in the room, he turned to the black case he had brought with him. "I'll need a large bowl of hot water and a mug, two basins and some towels," he ordered.

It was a mark of his own assurance and their collective fear that Laura darted to the door immediately and Samantha hurried to collect towels from the wash room.

Finally acknowledging their presence, the man glanced around the room. "My lords, I'm sorry, but it would be best for the lady to be given some privacy. This will not be a pleasant experience for her."

Sumner dismissed the guards at the edges of the room, sending them out into the hallway, though no farther. Jack knew none of the rest of them would be leaving, and it would take more than some young puppy's directions to pry Kate and Laura from Elizabeth's side right now. The other men did take a few discretionary steps backwards, while Thor and Hermoid observed the young man's work closely without interfering.

The supplies being brought, the doctor set to work mixing some kind of brew. With Kate's help, he coaxed Elizabeth, who was glassy-eyed, terrifyingly pale and weak, to sit up. "Come now, love, drink this," Jack heard the man murmur quietly.

Elizabeth sipped the brew slowly, in between her labored breaths. It took some minutes before she was able to swallow enough to satisfy the doctor.

Nothing happened.

"Now what?" Daniel demanded, his usual calm eroded by worry and watching. Jack put a hand on Daniel's shoulder.

"Just a moment, m'lord," the doctor said absently. He watched Elizabeth closely.

She rested against Kate for a minute more. Then her eyes bulged and she lunged up, scrambling for the side of the bed.

With consummate ease, the doctor handed her one of the buckets that had been brought and clamped a strong arm about Elizabeth's waist as she was violently ill into the bucket. Kate held Elizabeth's hair back from her face. In short order, she ceased to vomit fluid and instead was choking mightily and expelling some sort of noxious, dark-colored substance.

The doctor continued to support Elizabeth's body, his other hand stroking her back in a way no other man who was not Elizabeth's blood relative would have been allowed to get away with. "That's it, my dear, bring it all up," he urged Elizabeth. Tears streamed down her red face and she sobbed in pain as she continued to cough viciously, but the more of the thick filth she spat out the easier her breathing became.

At long last she started to slump. The doctor handed the bucket off to Laura, who looked faintly green and hurried from the room. He didn't let go of Elizabeth, however. Instead he turned to Kate. "We must keep her prone like this, or else that pestilence might settle back into her lungs. She'll want to lie down, but you must keep her from doing so."

Kate nodded. Samantha moved to the bed to help her as the physician stepped away.

"Doctor?" Lord George asked.

The young man wiped his hands on a towel. "She's not entirely clear of the toxins, but she's breathing easier. I should treat her again shortly, keep her bringing this stuff up while it is loose in her chest. I do believe she's out of immediate danger."

The audible sigh of relief was interrupted by Thor. "My lords, may I present Doctor Carson Beckett?"

***

The briefly-titled Prince Simon was buried three days after the wedding. Elizabeth had remained confined to her bed during that time. At Lord George's suggestion, the court had put forth the story that seeing her new husband fall ill at such a moment had upset the princess so deeply that she had been overcome by nervous exhaustion. The truth of her illness was to remain a secret known only to those who had been present in the bed chamber, and - over Jack and Daniel's objections - to the regent.

Elizabeth roused herself to attend the funeral service. Her wasted appearance and pale skin only supported the image of a grief-stricken young woman who had lost her husband tragically. The only positive outcome of the entire mess was that the nobility of Atalan was momentarily united in offering sympathy to their grieving princess. Elizabeth's weakened state prevented her from being seen much, but Jack had no doubt that Lord George would parlay the situation into building good will for the future.

Doctor Warner spoke to Lord George and asked to resign as the lady's physician. Jack had rarely seen the man look so sad. He was taking his failure to aid Elizabeth as a sign that his skills were not equal to the task of caring for her any longer.

Jack found himself agreeing with Sumner's terse opinion that this was not a good time to be bringing a stranger into the princess' inner circle. However, when Lord George announced that Elizabeth herself had asked young Doctor Beckett to take Warner's place, no one raised any further objections.

"In all fairness, he saved her life, Jack," Daniel pointed out as they sat together the evening of the funeral in Daniel's rooms. "And Elizabeth clearly likes him."

Jack nodded. The young man's easy manner and smile had obviously appealed to Elizabeth, or at least to her ladies-in-waiting. There was more giggling going on in Elizabeth's chambers than he would have expected from someone convalescing from such an illness. Jack suspected that Laura and Kate were egging one another on with their antics to help distract their lady from the attempted assassination.

His mind lingered over the words. Simon had been deliberately poisoned, while within the castle walls. Even though many extra people had been milling about due to the wedding, the closeness of the strike worried him greatly.

Something in his face must have given away his thoughts, as Daniel grew somber. "You think it was Kinsey?"

"Don't you?" he replied, eyebrows raised.

Daniel folded his hands and leaned back in his chair. He studied the lamp on the table between them for a moment.

"It stands to reason, if he tried once, he will try again," Daniel said slowly.

The anger within Jack crystallized into something cold and hard. "Yes." They were so close. Three more years and this nightmare would end for all of them. "And he'll fail."

He saw his own resolve reflected in Daniel's blue eyes. "Yes," Daniel agreed. "He will."


End file.
